Falling
by hellojello25
Summary: Ella Morning is a relatively new Jedi Knight about to be sent on a new assignment with an old friend. Multiple Chapters. This is my first story, so please be critical, but nice! Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1:**

Ella Morning stepped out of her spacecraft and onto the platform. She removed her helmet and turned to see two men approaching, one about twenty years older than the other. Smiling, she finished shutting down the craft and turned to greet them.

"Qui-Gon!" She exclaimed as she embraced the elder Jedi. "My goodness, I haven't seen you in ages!" She looked up into her old friend's face as she stepped back, taking in the new lines and grey hairs that had appeared since they had last seen one another. He smiled back at her, his blue eyes crinkling in exactly the way she remembered.

"It's been eight years, my friend, but you look well." He said, warmly squeezing her shoulders. "So, I hear you've finally become a Jedi Knight."

Ella nodded. "Yes, Kesta felt that I was ready three years ago."

"One of the youngest ever, correct?"

"Yes, at twenty years of age I was the second youngest to become a Knight. I guess the Council felt that I am old beyond my years."

Jinn chuckled. "I could have told you that years ago, my friend. Come, we have much to talk about." He stepped aside so Ella could lead the way into the Jedi Temple.

"Master, aren't you going to introduce me?" The young man asked Jinn quietly.

"All in good time, Padawan." Jinn answered, following his old friend into the building.

They followed Ella silently through the hallways, watching as she greeted old friends and reconnected herself with the sights and sounds of the Temple. Jinn watched his old friend with the eyes of an elder brother. The last time he had seen this young woman, she had been fifteen and as fiery as the moons of Tatooine, always at odds with her Master, Kesta Ruto, one of Jinn's close friends. He had gone on assignments with them quite a bit, and had many discussions with Kesta about her Padawan and her fear that Ella would never be ready for the Trials. She was smart and a quick learner, but her temper was great and her fuse was short. Apparently much had changed in the next five years, for Kesta had recommended Ella to the Council and she passed with flying colors. Jinn had heard many stories about the young woman over the next few years. Her mind was sharp, and she was among the best swordsmen the Jedi had. She had never failed an assignment and Jinn had heard rumors of her attaining the title of Master by the time she was thirty. But he could already see that she had changed from the fifteen year old with a temper into a young and calm Jedi Knight who served the Order to the best of her ability. When he had last seen her, Ella had preferred dark, form fitting clothing and her sandy brown hair had been cut short and was always straight, accentuating the sharp angles of her face. She had grown her hair out since then, allowing it to flow down her back in waves and wore the traditional robes of the Jedi Order, but her green eyes still showed the fire in her soul. It would always be there, but apparently she had figured out how to control it. The men followed the tall woman into the dining area of the Temple, where they all got food and sat at the end of a long table.

"I missed Temple food." Ella said after she took a few bites. "The food on Tiboro was awful. Bitter tasting plants and sour liquid. I was glad when the negotiations were over."

"What were you sent out there for?" Obi-Wan asked eagerly. The woman had become a Jedi Knight when she was his age and he was curious about her. Was she really so much more advanced then he? Jinn gave his Padawan a stern look for speaking out of turn, then glanced back to Ella.

"This is my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Nice to meet you, Obi-Wan." Ella smiled at him and his heart skipped a beat, without him knowing why. Jinn felt this and turned to regard his Padawan. Interesting. "The Tiboron were at arms with the inhabitants of their moon, the Riits. The Riits wanted to become a separate entity, but the Tiboron weren't letting them, as Riit is the only place where Orbium metal is found. Considering Orbium is used to make Tiboron spacecrafts, it started a war. I negotiated a treaty where they could compromise. Riit and Tiboro are completely separate, but Orbium is traded in exchange for spacecraft. Everyone wins, and Ella gets to eat real food again." She took another few bites, chewing slowly. "What have you two been up to?"

"Nothing quite as interesting as a war." Jinn answered. "We've actually been here the past few months, so that Obi-Wan can catch up on his studies."

"It would be nice to have a break." Ella admitted. "Unfortunately, the Council has other plans for me. That's why I'm here. I am meeting with them first thing tomorrow morning. It seems to be important."

"Odd." Jinn said. "We have a meeting with the Council first thing tomorrow morning as well."

Ella looked up at him. "Well, it looks like we might be going on this assignment together."

"Indeed. Will your Padawan also be joining us?"

She chuckled. "I don't have a Padawan, Qui-Gon. I'm not ready for the responsibility."

Jinn smiled at her. "Kesta did well with you."

Ella's face fell a bit at the mention of her old Master, but she smiled back. "I wish you could tell her that."

"Me too. But she's at peace now. In the end, that's all any of us can ask for."

Ella nodded her agreement and quickly scarfed down the rest of the food on her plate. "Well, my friends, it has been great meeting and catching up with you, but now I am afraid I must retire for the night. The journey from Tiboro was long and I am quite tired."

As she stood, Jinn and Kenobi jumped to their feet. She grabbed her plate and utensils, bringing

them to the washing area, then turned to regard her friends. "Good night, gentlemen. I will see you in the morning." The Jedi murmured their goodbyes and Ella smiled. It was good to reconnect with old friends. She made her way towards the sleeping quad and was greeted by a service droid.

"Hello, I am C-4RK. May I have your name, please?" It asked in it's synthesized voice.

"Ella Morning."

"Right, Jedi Morning, this way please." The droid led her up three levels and down a labyrinth of hallways, until it reached a plain set of steel doors on the right. "Here we are. Your luggage has already been brought up."

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I am only doing my job. The door is already programmed to your fingerprints. If you need anything else, just send a ping. Someone will be along shortly."

With that, the droid turned and walked back the way it came. Ella watched it for a moment, then turned and placed her thumb on the scan pad beside the doors. The pad toodled and the doors slid apart. She stepped through them and glanced around the room. It was large, much larger than the Padawan quarters she was used to staying in. The entrance led into a large sitting room with a holoprojector and plush couches taking up most of the room. A kitchenette was tucked away in one corner along with a mini bar. Floor to ceiling windows spanned the entire room, giving Ella an unparalleled view of the city of Coruscant, hovercraft speeding through the skylanes as beings went about their business. In the back of the room was a hallway and it was along this that Ella walked, checking out the refresher and finally making it to the bedroom. A full sized bed took up most of the space, with beautiful dark nightstands on either side. A matching dresser stood in the corner of the room along with a full length mirror and a battered brown bag. Ella grabbed the bag and dumped its contents on the bed. Out came a tightly bound bedroll, random leather straps, and extra clothes. Bits of food also came tumbling out, along with a Babor-toothed comb, a folded bit of paper, and a necklace. It was the necklace that caught Ella's eye and she lifted it by its delicate gold chain. The pendant was beautiful, a polished green stone that had a ring of gold in the center. It glowed softly in the dim light. She set it back on the bed and picked up the piece of paper, reading the writing on the top flap. _For Ella_, it read. She unfolded it and read the words she had memorized.

_My dearest Padawan, enclosed is a small present for you. I picked it up on Dantooine and thought of you. It is a fire emerald and it matches your eyes perfectly. I hope you are doing well on your first assignment and I look forward to hearing about when we meet. Until then, your Master, Kesta._

Ella read it a few more times, then carefully folded it back up and placed it gently back in her bag along with the necklace. Kesta had never gotten to hear about her first assignment. The fire emerald was the only token Ella had ever received from her old Master and she took that and the note with her everywhere. She sighed and stood, removing her robe as she did so. Naked now, she stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. She had a small chest and toned abdomen. Her arms were nicely muscled and her legs were strong. Her body was hairless except for what was on her head and a small patch of curls between her legs. She would have been perfect save for the thick scars roping around her torso like snakes, running this way and that. Souvenirs of the time her and her Master had been captured and tortured at the hands of a Dark Jedi over ten years ago. Qui-Gon Jinn had been their rescuer then, but her mind would never forget the torment she endured. It was the anger from the incident that Qui-Gon had sensed when she was fifteen and it was the anger from this incident that she had learned to control and subdue. But since the death of her Master, it had started to grow again, poisoning her body and mind. She had been trying to fight it for some time, but it grew stronger every day. Nothing helped. Meditating, talking, exercising. Nothing. She knew she should talk to the Council about it, but she was frightened that she would be expelled from the Order if she couldn't control it. And it was this fear that kept her mouth shut.

Sighing, she grabbed her bedroll and spread it out on the floor next to the bed. She laid down on it, still naked, and stared out the window, letting her mind wander until she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Ella stood in front of the Jedi Council, Jinn and Kenobi by her side. She felt uncomfortable under the stares of the most powerful Jedi in the universe, but she stood tall and met the eyes of every being in the room as she gave her report of the Tiboro negotiations.

"Once again, you have exceeded our expectations Ella." Master Mace Windu addressed her after she had finished.

"Thank you, Master." Ella bowed.

"You have proved yourself time and again and we feel it is time to send you on more...delicate...missions."

"What do you mean, Master?" Ella clasped her hands in front of her.

"Have you heard about the growing tensions between Gilrith and Silrith, the twin moons orbiting a lifeless planet in the Outer Rim?"

"I had heard rumors of such, yes."

"Well, the Prime Ruler on Gilrith has had three assassination attempts on his life in the past month alone. He believes the Prime Ruler from Silrith is responsible, but has no proof. We have been asked to solve this mystery and take care of the problem. However, Jedi are not welcome in that part of the galaxy, thus you must travel incognito. Since this is the first assignment of its kind that you will be sent on, we have elected to send an experienced Jedi with you, and an old friend. Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi will be accompanying you on this trip, but make no mistake about it, you are the primary leader on this trip. Jinn and Kenobi will follow your lead."

Ella bowed low. "This is a great honor, Masters. I won't let you down."

"Ella, go to Gilrith and find out who has been trying to kill the Prime Ruler. Once you have this information, report back to us and we'll figure out where to go from there. You must remain incognito, do not use the Force in the presence of others unless absolutely necessary. Go now."

Ella turned and took a few steps before realizing that Jinn and Kenobi weren't following her. She looked back, about to question why they weren't following her, but Master Windu interrupted her.

"Obi-Wan should join you in getting prepped and ready to go. But we need to have a few words with Qui-Gon before he goes."

Ella nodded and slipped out of the room, Kenobi following in her wake. Jinn remained standing in the center of the room, surrounded by the Masters. Master Windu waited until he could feel Ella's presence fade before he started.

"I think you know what we are about to ask of you, Qui-Gon." Master Windu said, crossing his legs in front of him.

"You want me to keep an eye on her." He responded.

"Much anger, she has." Master Yoda, a diminutive green alien with large ears, interjected. "Hide it, she tries. But consume her, it will, if not dealt with."

"I agree." Jinn said. "She tries hard to hide it, but I've sensed her anger ever since she arrived here."

"And it grows. It is stronger every time she returns." Master Windu said. "While her mission is to find the assassin, your mission is to watch over her and make sure she doesn't fall. She needs you, her old friend."

"Of course, Master. I will do everything in my power to help her."

"You must not fail, Qui-Gon. She means too much to the Order and if she turned, it would hurt so much more than words can describe."

Jinn knew that Master Windu was talking about the incident which had occurred two years previous, an incident where ten Jedi Knights and hundreds of beings had been captured by a secretive society. Ella had figured out who had been taking them, why they had been taken, where they had been taken, and had rescued them all, bringing in all the captors alive to stand trial. And she had done it by herself. She was hailed as a hero on more planets than just Coruscant and her name was very well known. If she turned to the dark side, it would be a blow to the Republic. And the Jedi were against anything that could hurt the Republic. Jinn would have helped her regardless, because she was his friend.

"Yes, Master. I understand."

"Good. Go join her and your Padawan. You have much work to do."

Ella and Kenobi were finishing packing up the ship they were to take to Gilrith when Jinn rejoined them. They were all dressed in loosely fitted dark clothes, designed to be able to allow the wearer to blend into a crowd. The ship was an old Rapid-class long distance transport vessel with the name of _Scarlet Serpent_. Ella loved her immediately. She felt most at home among the stars, flying from planet to planet. There was something about the vastness of space, and the quietness that appealed to her. Sitting in the cockpit, watching the blue streaks of hyperspace flash by, alone with her thoughts, that was the time that Ella felt the most comfortable and secure with herself and her life choices. Unfortunately, this time she had a pilot, Feener Delopsi, a dark Corellian, so she couldn't fly it herself. But she understood the need. She was traveling as Allesin Cilsin, a prosperous woman who visits the beautiful moon of Gilrith once a year for vacation. Jinn was Rupe, her bodyguard, and Kenobi was Illow, her brother. Allesin and Illow would never, ever, pilot a ship themselves.

Feener expertly piloted them out of the hangar and into space, selecting a hyperspace route that would take them in a roundabout way to Gilrith. Ella finished putting her stuff away in her quarters, then joined the others in the mess. As Jinn poured her a cup of tea, Ella laid down the plans. The first thing they would do when they arrived would be to attend a secret meeting with the Prime Ruler of Gilrith, who was the only one who knew that they were Jedi. Once they got the information out of him, they would decide what to do from there. Ella had a feeling that they would be traveling to Silrith, but she wouldn't know until the time came. Jinn announced that he agreed with the plan and that he was going to retire to his quarters, leaving her alone with Kenobi in the mess.

"You know, last time I saw Qui-Gon, he was adamant that he would never have a Padawan." Ella said, studying the young man over the rim of her tea mug.

"Well, I almost wasn't his Padawan. It took us getting into a very tight spot and me proving myself to him to have him be my Master. But I haven't regretted it, and I don't think he does either."

"He definitely doesn't regret it. He's the happiest I've seen him in a while."

"I'm glad to hear it." Kenobi looked at the young woman sitting across from him. "So how is being a Jedi Knight? It must be so nice not being told what to do all the time."

Ella smiled slightly. "Don't take your Master for granted, Obi-Wan. He may not be there some day."

He studied her a moment. "I met Kesta once, you know." Ella's head snapped up and she fixed her green eyes on Kenobi's blue ones. "You remind me of her."

"I do?" She asked.

Kenobi nodded. "You have the same kind exterior, polite and soft. But there can be no mistaking the solid core inside. She was an amazing Jedi Master and you will be too someday. Even Master Qui-Gon thinks so."

Ella set down her tea mug. "That means a lot to me. Thank you."

"I'm just telling you what I see, Ella." He leaned in closer to her, hunching his shoulders towards her. "And what I see is a young, beautiful woman who will be of great service to the Order." He put his hand on hers and squeezed, then removed it. Her skin was soft and cool, and touching her made his stomach flutter.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan. You will make a great Jedi Knight someday, I can feel it. You have a touch of destiny about you. Having Qui-Gon as your Master only solidifies that. He is a great Jedi and a great man."

"I know it." Kenobi said quietly. "Hey, do you want to see something amazing?" He asked after a moment.

Ella nodded and he extended his hand. She hesitated slightly, but took it and he led her to a viewing platform at the very base of the ship. It was shaped like an dome, protruding from the very bottom of the ship and was made of transparisteel. Ella could see the receeding shape of Coruscant falling away behind them and the universe spread out before them.

"It's beautiful." She breathed. While she studied the stars, Kenobi studied her. She was almost as tall as he was, but that didn't stop his heart from beating faster every time she so much as looked at him. He knew what the feeling was, but he didn't understand why he was feeling this way. He had always been able to keep his feelings in check, but this young Jedi Knight made him feel a bit out of control. His head was spinning as he stood next to her, their hands so close that they were almost touching. He didn't know how he was going to get through this mission with her, much less how he was going to leave her when it was over. For he already knew that wherever she was, that was where he wanted to be.


End file.
